Foldable bed or other structure



SePt- 13, 1932- J. R. THOMAS FOJDBLE BED OTHER STRUCTURE f\ f\ P U \J Ur u KKNKN Sept. 13, 1932. J, R THQMAS FOLDABLE BED 0R OTHER STRUCTURE n Filed Nov. 14`. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 liz MCO/fat@ 71 M f Mw/1.

Patented Sept. 13, 1932 narra STATES PATENroFFl-CE Josnrn n. THOMAs OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Assienon 'O'F ONE-HALETO THEnOMn CGJIKPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF- 'NEW YORK FOLD-ABLE Bnn on OTHER'STRUCTURE'` Application led November 14, 1930. 'SeraI No. 495,574.

Specifically considered, my invention relates to beds of the socalled day bedV type and has for its object to produce a simple and novel means for mounting the bed sections so that the opening and closing will be smooth and may be accomplished with little effort, providing a firm support for a person seated or lying on the bed whether the latter be .open or closed, and insuring that the height of the bed will be the same whether Open or closed. Y

ln carrying out my invention I employ a bed section which is turned over in the bed frame in the opening and closing of the bed, being also lowered in the closing operation so as to provide room above it for a second bed section. The supporting means for the reversible bed section are capable of other uses and my invention may therefore be viewed las having for one of its objects to produce a simple and novel mechanical movement whereby two members are connected together so as to be capable of being placed in different relative positions with respect to each other. Y

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed ont with particularity in the claims;`but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its Objects and advan tages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a bed constructed in accordance with my invention, the bed being shown open, only fragments of the spring cushions illustrated; Fig. 2 is an end view of the bed as it appears in Fig. 1, a part of the frame being broken away; Fig. 3 is an end view showing the bed sections about inidway between their open and closed positions, a small section of one of the members of the bed frame being broken away; Fig. 4 is an end view showing the bed closed; and Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Since the principle of my invention can be fully explained in connection with the embodiment thereof in a day bed I shall, for the sake of brevity, confine the detailed description to the bed construction illustrated.

Referring `'to the' drawings, land 2 represent end members of 'a Vbed frame. These end members are' -connected' together by lsuitable longitudinal members oneo-f which, indicated atB lies at one sidev of the' bed toward but at some distance from the top. rlhe bed proper is made in two sections whose foundations are metal frames 4 and 5 larranged edgegto vedge and hinged together, as

indicated'at 6, so that they may be extended to lie' inthe samek planeor be folded one upon the other, preferably in a nested manner. Upon each of these frames is mounted a sui-table spring cushion, indicated at' 8 and 9, respectively. The frame 4 is supported by the bed frame so that it maybe turned over'therein to bring the spring cushion thereon either on top :or on the under side. The frame 5 has o-n the side opposite Y the hinged 'side suitablel legs 10. As will hereinafter appear, when the bed is opened, the inner side of the frame 5 rests upon and is supported by the longitudinal member 3,

ywhile the outer side is supported Yby the i legs 10:V

The means for .supporting the reversible bed section consist of twopairs of links -connectingithe ends ofthe Vframe. 4 to the ends of the bed frame. One link 11 of each pair is pivoted at one end, as indicated at 12, to the adjacent bed end,'near thel top" and vat about the middle of the latter. The'oth'er end of this link is pivoted to the reversible bed section near the side `Opposite the hinged side and near the top. This may be accom# plished by fixing to the ends of the frame 4 metal plates or brackets 13 that extend into the vicinity ofthe top of the cushion at the free long edge fof the section; the links .11 vbeing pivoted to the upper Outer corners of the corresponding plates or brackets,'as in.i dicated at 14. y"Each of the links 15,v of the` other pair, is pivoted to the adjacent bed-end l on'thel side at which the longitudinal bar O-r frame. member 3 is located, ata distance` from the topiabout equal to the depth ofthe'. bed sections, as indicated at 16. V`The other i end of each ofthe linksV 15 is pivotedto .the`

reversible bed section at about thegcenter .of

the ,adjacent end, the pivotal( connection iframe.

being made preferably, as indicated at 17, with the inner end of the corresponding bracket or plate 13.

The parts are so proportioned that when the bed is open the frame 5 of the one section lies at one side of the bed frame and is supported by the stationary longitudinal frame member and by its legs; whereas the reversible bed section lies between the upper ends of the bed ends'and is held up by the links which now eXtend in almost horizontal directions and prevent downward swinging movement of the reversible section. In order to close the bed an upward pull'is exerted on a loop or strap 18 secured to the frame 5 near its hinge, lifting the hinge and permitting the reversible section to swing about the pivots 12 of the links 11. During this ment keeps the lower edge of the reversible section from dipping down as far as it otherwise would, thereby affording a greater clearancebetween the floor and the bed section while the latter is being turned. The movement of the reversible section in the counter clockwise direction, begun with the lifting of the loop or strap, continues until the reversible section has been turned upside 'do-wn,

as shown in Fig. 4. In turning over the reversible section also drops bodily a distance about equal to its thickness, thereby leaving room above it for the other bed section which, in the meantime, has been drawn over into registration with the stationary bed l/Vhen the bed is closed the longitudinal member of the frame 5, on the hinge side, rests on stops 7 on the bed ends, the other side being, of course, supported by the legs 10.

It is desirable that means be provided to balancethe weight of the movable bed Vsections more. or less, to reduce the eii'ort required in operating thebed. This may be accomplished by placing between the links 15 and the stationary frame suitable springs which are stressed when the 'bed sections move from Vthe positions which they have in Fig. Sto the positions occupied by them in Fig. 4. In the arrangement shown, the links l 15 are arms of bell crank levers the other arm 19 of each'of which extends down from the pivot'point. A long tension spring 2O is interposed 'between the lower end of 'each of the arms 19'and the stationary frame. It

will be seen that whenthe bed is closed, as in Fig.- 4, the springs are under tension and will therefore assist lifting the bed sections toward the positions in which they appear in Fig. 3. As the opening of the bed progresses to the positions shown in 2 some stretch-- ing of the springs may take place, so that some energy will be stored to aid in a subsequent closing operation.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, a frame, a panel adapted to extend across the frame at one elevation when one broad face or top is up and at a lower elevation when the otherbroad face or Vbottom is up, two links connecting each end of the panel with the frame, each link being pivoted'at one end to the frame and at the other end to the panel, the pivot points being Aso located that the links at each end cross each other when the top of the panel is on the under side and lie approximately parallei when the top of the panel is on the upper side.

2. In combination, a reversible bed section, a suppoiting frame, a link hung from the ltop of the frame at about the middle of each end and pivotally connected to said bed section near one side and adjacent to the top,

a transverse link pivotally connected to about n the middle of the said bed section at each end and to the franie on the side which is opposite the aforesaid side of the bed section when the latter is in the position in which the top is facing up.

[Iii

3. In combination, a reversible bed section,

a supporting frame, a link hung from the top of the frame at about the middle of each end and pivotally connected to said bed section near onesidve and adjacent to the top, a transverse linkV pivotally connected to about the middleof the said' bed section at each end Aand to the frame on the side which is opposite the aforesaid side of the bed section when the latter is in the position in which the top is facing up, and a second bed section Yhinged to the aforesaid section on the side opposite that near which the first mentioned links are connected to the latter section.

4. In combination, a frame, a bed section adapted to be turned over in the frame, translui)- iis verse links at the ends of the frame each Ypivoted to the frame near one side of the latter and extending inwardly to a pivot on the bed section at about the middle of the latter, links at opposite ends of the frame each pivoted to the frame at about the middle and near the top and'extending in a direction away from the pivotal connection between 1 the corresponding transverse link and the frame to a. pivot near the side and top of the said bed section.

5. In combination, a frame, a bed section adapted to be turned upside down and lowlliuJ ered in the frame, transverse links at the ends of the frame each pivoted to the frame near one side of the latter and extending inwardly to a pivot about midway between the sides of the bed section, suspending links at opposite ends of the frame each pivoted tothe corresponding end of the frame about midway between the sides and at a higher level than the pivots between the transverse links and the frame, and pivotal connections between the suspending links and the ends of the bed section near the top of the latter and toward the side which is opposite the aforesaid side of the frame when the bed section 3 is right side up.

1 adapted to be turned upside down and lowered therein, a longitudinal frame member adapted to support the inner side of the second section when the bed is opened, leg means to support the other side of the second section when the bed is opened, two

links at each end of the frame each pivoted at one end to the frame and atthe other end to the first bed section, one link at each end being connected to the frame at about the middle of the end of the frame and near the top and to the irst bed section near the top and toward the side opposite the hinge side, and the other link being connected to the frame at a lower level toward the side on which said longitudinal frame member is located and to the first bed section at about the middle of the end.

7. In a folding bed, a frame, two bed sections hinged together at meeting edges near the planes of their bottoms, the first section lying between the ends of the frame and adapted to be turned upside down and lowered therein, a longitudinal frame member adapted to support the inner side of the second section when the bed is opened, leg means to support the other side of the second section when the bed is opened, two links at each end of the frame each pivoted at one end to the frame and at the other end to the iirst bed section, one link at each end being connected to the frame at about the middle of the end of the frame and near the top and to the first bed section near the top and toward the side opposite the hinge side, and

the other link being connected to the frame at a lower level toward the side on which said longitudinal frame member is located and to the first bed section at about the middle of the end, and springs between the lastmentioned links and the frame adapted to be stressed when the bed is closed and thereby store up energy to assist in opening the bed.

8. In combination, a frame, two bed sections hinged together at meeting edges near the plane of their bottoms, the iirst of said the frame, bell crank levers at the ends of the frame each pivoted to the frame near the side on which the second bed section is adapted to be projected and each having a transverse arm extending inwardlybeside the corresponding end of the first bed section and a downwardly extending arm, a pivot connection between each transverse arm and the adjacent end of the iirst bed section about midway between the sides of the latter, a spring between the frame and each downwardly extending arm of the levers, suspending links at the ends of the frame each hung from thelatter at about the middle of the corresponding end and extending and pivotally connected to the adjacent end of the rst bed section near the top and near the 'side opposite that which is hinged to the second bed section.

9. In combination, a frame', two bed sections hinged together at meeting edges near the plane of their bottoms, the first of said sections lying between the ends of the frame and adapted to be turned over therein, the second section having legs to support one side thereof when projected outwardly from the frame, bell crank levers at the ends of the frame each pivoted to the frame `near the side on which the'second bed section is adapted to be projected and each having a transverse arm extending inwardly beside the corresponding end of the rst bed section and a downwardly extending arm, a pivot connection between each transverse arm and the adjacent end of the first bed section about midway between the sides of the latter, a spring between the frame and each downwardly extending arm of the levers, suspending links at the ends of the frame each hung from the latter at about the middle of the correspondng end at a level above that of the pivotal connections between the bell crank levers and the frame and extending and pivotally connected to the adjacent end of the first bed section near the top and near the side opposite that which is hinged to the second bed section. Y

In testimony whereof, I sign this speciflcation.

JOSEPH R. THOMAS. 

